When people talk about a list of movies with Tom Hanks, they usually start with the bench. You know the one—the 1994 Savannah bus stop where Forrest Gump sat with his box of chocolates. Or maybe they think of the island where he befriended a volleyball. But honestly? If you only know the "America’s Dad" version of Tom Hanks, you’re missing half the story.
His filmography is weird, actually. It spans over four decades and somehow manages to include both a movie where he plays a detective partnered with a drooling dog and a harrowing drama about the AIDS crisis that won him an Oscar. He’s the only guy who can survive a plane crash in one movie (Cast Away) and then land a crippled plane on the Hudson in another (Sully).
Today, in 2026, looking back at his massive body of work feels less like browsing a resume and more like looking at a history of modern cinema. From his goofy 80s comedies to his latest 2025/2026 projects like The Phoenician Scheme and the upcoming Toy Story 5, the range is just wild.
The Early Days: When Tom Was Just "The Funny Guy"
Before he was the prestigious elder statesman of Hollywood, Tom was basically the king of the "high-concept" 80s comedy. You've probably seen Big (1988). It’s the quintessential Hanks movie of that era. He plays a 12-year-old in a 30-year-old’s body, and he does it without being creepy, which is a total miracle of acting.
But look deeper into the 80s archives. You’ll find The 'Burbs (1989), a dark, cynical satire of suburban paranoia that most people forget exists. It’s got a cult following now for a reason. Then there’s Bachelor Party (1984) and Splash (1984), where he’s just this energetic, slightly frantic presence. He wasn't "Tom Hanks" yet; he was just that guy who was really good at being charming while everything around him fell apart.
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That Incredible 90s Run (The "List of Movies with Tom Hanks" Essentials)
If you're making a list of movies with Tom Hanks that defines his career, the 90s is the undisputed heavyweight champion. This is when he pulled off something no one else has done in the modern era: winning back-to-back Best Actor Oscars.
- Philadelphia (1993): This was the pivot. He lost 30 pounds to play Andrew Beckett, a lawyer fighting a wrongful termination suit while dying of AIDS. It changed the way mainstream America looked at the epidemic.
- Forrest Gump (1994): The movie that basically became a cultural phenomenon. Love it or hate the sentimentality, Hanks’ performance is an absolute masterclass in physical acting.
- Apollo 13 (1995): "Houston, we have a problem." He didn't just play an astronaut; he made us care about the technical minutiae of carbon dioxide filters.
- Saving Private Ryan (1998): His first big collaboration with Steven Spielberg. That opening D-Day sequence is still hard to watch, and Hanks provides the quiet, trembling-hand humanity that holds the whole epic together.
And let’s not forget Toy Story (1995). It’s easy to forget because we only hear his voice, but Sheriff Woody is arguably his most enduring character. He brought a sense of neurotic, middle-management anxiety to a plastic cowboy that made us all cry over a child's toy.
The Spielberg and Zemeckis Years
A huge chunk of the list of movies with Tom Hanks comes from his long-term "creative marriages" with directors Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis. These aren't just one-offs; they are deep, decade-spanning partnerships.
The Spielberg Connection
Hanks and Spielberg are like the cinematic version of a perfect steak and potatoes meal. It’s reliable, high-quality, and deeply American.
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- Catch Me If You Can (2002): He plays Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent chasing Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s the "boring" guy, but he makes being boring look incredibly cool.
- The Terminal (2004): A lot of critics were "meh" on this one, but it’s a sweet, oddly touching story about a man stuck in JFK airport.
- Bridge of Spies (2015): A Cold War thriller where he barely raises his voice. It’s all about negotiation and ethics.
- The Post (2017): He plays Ben Bradlee, the legendary editor of the Washington Post. It’s Hanks in "shouting about the First Amendment" mode.
The Zemeckis Experiments
While Spielberg is about classic storytelling, Robert Zemeckis uses Hanks to push technology. Cast Away (2000) was a massive physical feat—Hanks lost 50 pounds during production while they filmed the second half of the movie. Then came The Polar Express (2004), the "uncanny valley" motion-capture movie where he played five different roles. Most recently, they reunited for Here (2024), which used AI de-aging technology to show a couple across their entire lives in a single room. It was experimental and polarizing, which is exactly why it’s interesting.
What's Happening Now: The 2025 and 2026 Slate
He isn't slowing down. Honestly, it’s impressive. For someone who could have retired twenty years ago, he’s still picking weird, challenging projects.
- The Phoenician Scheme (2025): This is a big one. Directed by Wes Anderson, it features Hanks alongside Bill Murray and Benedict Cumberbatch. It’s his second time working with Anderson (after Asteroid City), and it’s a spy tale that looks absolutely stylized and bizarre.
- Toy Story 5 (2026): Pixar officially announced the return of Woody and Buzz. While some fans think the story was "done" after the fourth one, there’s no denying that hearing Hanks' voice as Woody again is a major event.
- Greyhound Sequel: There are heavy reports that he’s returning to the world of WWII for a sequel to his Apple TV+ hit Greyhound. He wrote the first one himself, showing he's just as interested in the pen as he is in the performance.
The Movies Most People Forget (But Shouldn't)
If you really want to impress someone with your knowledge of a list of movies with Tom Hanks, talk about the ones that didn't break the box office.
Cloud Atlas (2012) is a trip. He plays about six different characters across different timelines—including a post-apocalyptic tribesman and a thuggish British author. It’s a mess, but it’s a brilliant mess. Then there’s Road to Perdition (2002), where he plays a mob enforcer. It’s one of the few times we see him be truly "scary" or at least dangerous, and he kills it.
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Also, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). Playing Fred Rogers felt like destiny. He didn't just do an impression; he captured the radical kindness that made Mr. Rogers who he was.
Ranking the "Must-See" Categories
Instead of a boring chronological list, let's look at what you should watch based on your mood.
| Category | The Top Pick | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| The "Cry Your Eyes Out" Pick | The Green Mile (1999) | It's three hours long, but by the end, you'll be a wreck. Hanks is the emotional anchor. |
| The "I Need a Laugh" Pick | The Money Pit (1986) | Pure slapstick. The scene where the bathtub falls through the floor is legendary. |
| The "Edge of My Seat" Pick | Captain Phillips (2013) | That final scene in the medical bay? It’s probably the best five minutes of acting in his career. |
| The "Pure Nostalgia" Pick | You've Got Mail (1998) | The chemistry with Meg Ryan is untouchable. It’s the ultimate "comfort" movie. |
The "America’s Dad" Myth
Is he actually as nice as he seems? Every interview and set report says yes. But the danger of the "nice guy" label is that we forget how technically proficient he is. Look at A Man Called Otto (2022). He plays a grumpy, suicidal old man. Even underneath the "nice" persona, he can find the bitterness and the grief.
His later-career choices show a man obsessed with history and the "ordinary hero." Whether he's playing Sully Sullenberger or Captain Kidd in News of the World (2020), he’s fascinated by people who just do their jobs under impossible pressure.
Next Steps for Your Movie Night
If you're looking to dive into this list of movies with Tom Hanks, don't just stick to the hits. Start with a "Double Feature of Contrast." Watch Splash to see the young, manic energy, then immediately follow it with Bridge of Spies to see the gravitas he’s developed. It’s the best way to appreciate the journey of an actor who basically grew up on screen with us. Check your local streaming platforms—Apple TV+ and Disney+ currently hold a huge portion of his modern and animated library.